Pure Horserace: Playing To The Crowd

(CBS)  Maybe we should have all of these presidential debates and forums in an outdoor stadium with loud, cheering crowds because something got into the Democratic candidates last night to elevate their latest encounter into a combative — and entertaining — affair. Standing on a stage in the middle of Chicago's Soldier Field in front of an estimated 17,000 union families, the seven candidates on stage shouted, yelled and called out one another on issues ranging from foreign policy to trade policy and lobbyist support.

The exchanges were surprisingly sharp, even personal, but distributed fairly equally — and every candidate seemed to come away with a little bit of a win.

Hillary Clinton, who has sailed through these debates with few, if any, scars, once again turned in a solid and steady performance highlighted by some rare showings of energy. To the ear, Clinton was not the most popular candidate on stage by a long shot and seemed to receive a smattering of boos from time to time. The fact that some of the lower-tier candidates opted to engage her closest rivals kept the New York senator from getting roughed up, and she refused to engage the criticisms that came her way directly. But the stepped-up performances by everyone kept her from widening the gap.

Barack Obama, literally on his home field, was well-prepared for criticism stemming from some of his recent foreign policy statements — but seemed unprepared for the sharp rebukes that came not from Clinton or the moderator, but from fellow senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd. He deftly managed to turn the attacks back on those who once supported the Iraq war but didn't score a big "win" against the front-runner on the lobbying contributions he has criticized her for.

Having aggressively courted labor support for his campaign, this was John Edwards' chance to shine and make some real inroads. But try as he might to pound that point home, he also found himself at the business end of shots by candidates who are currently looking up at him, particularly Biden and Dennis Kucinich. Edwards got his shots in at Clinton but took about as much as he got. Still, he stood out as one of the most empathetic candidates on stage.

The biggest surprise was not Biden's animated performance but that it was so effective in this particular venue. All the candidates shouted at one time or another to be heard above the rather loud audience, but Biden's personality came through as one of the largest of the night. His very personal criticism of Edwards after the former North Carolina boasted of the time he's spent on picket lines was both effective and somewhat jarring. That Biden would spend time going after Obama and Edwards could be part of a strategy to break into the top tier. It could also be something a President Clinton would remember if she ends up winning the White House and picking a Cabinet.

Likewise, Chris Dodd saved most of his barbs for Edwards and, especially, Obama. There were several moments where the cameras showed Clinton nodding along approvingly at what Dodd was saying, and she cited the Connecticut senator at least once as supporting evidence to make a point. They didn't exactly protect her, but Dodd and Biden joined Clinton more often than not to create a trio of voices that clashed with the rest of the candidates.

If Biden was the biggest surprise, Dennis Kucinich was not far behind. His protectionist, anti-war message appeared to fit the particular audience perfectly. With the absence of gadfly candidate Mike Gravel, Kucinich should have been the candidate who did not quite belong, but the crowd rewarded his worker-friendly rhetoric with bursts of applause. Bill Richardson, who has struggled in these debates despite making clear inroads on the fund-raising and polling front, brought the most humor to the event, even if it was sometimes not appreciated by the crowd. But with all the back-and-forth between the others, the New Mexico governor once again failed to break through.

For once, the candidates really spoke more to the people assembled in the venue than the television audience and fed off the energy of the large crowd. If politics really is a sport, this wasn't the worst field on which to play. — Vaughn Ververs


Ready, Ames, Fire: A little added insurance — or some last-minute nerves? That's the question sure to be asked about a new ad launched by Mitt Romney's campaign in Iowa today. After taking some pains to lower expectations in advance of this weekend's Republican straw poll, the campaign's latest ad actively solicits support for the event.

In the ad, which displays a toll-free number to request tickets and transportation arrangements, Romney says, "Washington politicians in both parties have proven they can't control spending, and they won't control our borders. I will, but I need your help to do it. So come on to Ames. After all, changing America always starts in Iowa."

Romney is the overwhelming favorite to win the straw poll, basically a dressed-up fund-raiser for the state party, and needs some level of separation from the lower-tier candidates to declare outright victory. His campaign has been organizing aggressively for the event for months, and with Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and all-but-announced candidate Fred Thompson not directly participating, his is the biggest operation involved.

But these events have a way of upsetting expectations, and lower-tier candidates like Mike Huckabee, Sam Brownback and Tommy Thompson are desperately hoping for a breakthrough. It's hard to see a last-minute ad doing more than reminding those already planning on attending the straw poll not to miss it — but for Romney, every little bit helps. — Vaughn Ververs


The Latest Newt-O-Meter Reading: Every time former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks, political observers sift through his words to figure out whether he plans to seek the Republican presidential nomination. Lately, the odds of such a run seem to have fallen. But a Gingrich speech on Tuesday at Washington's National Press Club may set off a new round of speculation.

According to inside-the-Beltway publication The Hill, Gingrich said there's still a chance he will enter the race — and still a chance that the front-runners in the Republican race will falter. "I try to remind people, three weeks before the Iowa caucus in 2004 the Democratic front-runner was Howard Dean. He had raised more money, he had gotten more magazine covers — everybody though he was the front-runner," Gingrich said. "He had the biggest online contributor base."

Gingrich also flatly said he was "candidate material," which is a little more bold than the former speaker has sounded lately. It's possible that the delay in the launch of Fred Thompson's campaign — now expected in early September, less than a month before Gingrich says he'll make up his own mind — and Thompson's reported fundraising and staff troubles have renewed some of Gingrich's vigor. — David Miller


Sensing An Opportunity: Republican Rep. Ron Paul raised some eyebrows when his second-quarter fundraising put him in fourth place in the money race against his fellow GOP candidates. Now, with the Iowa Straw Poll only days away, the candidate whose libertarian views have won him a significant Internet following is putting that money to use on a more traditional medium: television.

The campaign is airing its first ad in Iowa this week. The spot notes that Paul has never accepted a congressional pay raise, never voted to raise taxes and is running to "protect our liberties and save our Constitution."

It's unlikely Paul would spend money on the ad if he didn't think he had a chance of pulling off an Ames surprise. Conventional wisdom says that if anyone is going to benefit from the bickering between Sam Brownback and Mitt Romney, it will be former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But for now, Paul is the only Republican candidate, aside from Romney, on TV in Iowa. It's possible it's too late for the ad to have any impact on the poll results, but it shows that Paul is a candidate who deserves attention heading into this early test of GOP strength. — David Miller


A Primary Problem: The presidential campaign got off to an early start, but voters don't seem to mind — polls indicate they're more interested now than they've been at corresponding points in previous cycles. But they are upset about something else: The way our presidential nominees are chosen. In this week's edition of Poll Positions, CBS News director of surveys Kathy Frankovic examines voter frustration with the current nomination process, especially the continued supremacy of Iowa and New Hampshire. Voters are also clear about how they would fix the system — to find out what they recommend, read this week's column.


Editor's note: Pure Horserace is a daily update of political news as interpreted by the political observers at CBSNews.com. Click here to sign up for the e-mail version.

By Vaughn Ververs and David Miller

[willclem]

Dennis Kucinich::::the one who is side-winded by the media and has been since the beginning ---but now is being somewhat noticed, and he should be as he has PLANS THAT HE CAN FLUENTLY AND ELOQUENTLY DISCUSS that bring understanding after listening. And not %u201Ctop of the head - only what the public wants to hear%u201D.

Kucinich should have been the candidate who did not quite belong,%u201Daccording to the author of the article. However, the author should be challenged with %u201Chow much do you really know about Dennis Kucinich%u2019s plans for MAKING AMERICA BETTER. Not to know his plans but yet to criticize is disingenuous. Kucinich is the ONLY CANDIDATE who REALLY has a health plan that he can talk about from start to finish -

Kucinich is the ONLY CANDIDATE with an EXACT plan to exit Iraq and leave with integrity

Kucinich is the ONLY CANDIDATE who can converse in knowledgeable terms regarding NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. He also has an abundance of educational betterment plans.

Kucinich is the ONLY CANDIDATE who can speak with definite terminology a conversation concerning ENERGY.

His %u201Crun for the Pres%u201D has substance, if only he can receive equal coverage by the media in order to alert the public in an equal venue.

Ron Paul is in the same class of Dennis Kucinich - and should also be recognized more with his ideas and given the courtesy of others until the primary.

[jack3213]

It is a very large assumption to make that the Democrats will win in 2008. Those who have already made up their minds have done so simply not to vote Republican, and that is a large mistake in judgement. The reality is no matter how the media wants to play it, those who are not voting for Clinton or Obama have not come out of the gate yet, and for very good reason. It is a long haul to the finish line, and then the real work begins. Those who do their homework know what I am talking about. Those who continue to live on "wishes' from words of character actors who deliberately deceive and manipulate will be in for a rude awakening. Argue all you want, this country needs a leader that knows what is in the best interest of the USA, without raising taxes, promising castles in the sky for tomorrow, and having any ties to the past.That is real change.